Method of modifying weather

ABSTRACT

A method for artificially modifying the weather by seeding rain clouds of a storm with suitable cross-linked aqueous polymer. The polymer is dispersed into the cloud and the wind of the storm agitates the mixture causing the polymer to absorb the rain. This reaction forms a gelatinous substance which precipitate to the surface below. Thus, diminishing the clouds ability to rain.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to weather modification and inparticular to the use of polymers to absorb aqueous solutions capable ofmodifying a weather situation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hurricanes, tropical storms, typhoons, and the like weather patterns cancause severe damage to land, buildings, and living creatures. Theresulting damage from even an isolated event can be billions of dollarsas evidenced by Hurricane Andrew.

Cloud seeding is a known process for artificially modifying the weatherby injecting a composition into a cloud for formation of an ice freezingnuclei. Silver iodide is a well known substance used for cloud seeding.Ice freezing nuclei have the effect of creating rain, reducing hail, andpossibly preventing rain by overseeding.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,498 discloses a cloud seeding material useful forseeding supercooled clouds in order to augment rainfall. The materialused in seeding is defined as a aliphatic long-chain alcohol.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,147 discloses a cloud seeding method of insertingliquid propane from a rocket. The liquid propane is used to generatelarge numbers of ice crystals in supercooled clouds.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,865 discloses yet another method of cloud seeding.This invention includes the use of a pyrotechnic composition such aspotassium chlorate or potassium perchlorate which act as nuclei forprecipitable water drop formation.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,005 discloses a pyrotechnic cloud seedingcomposition comprising silver iodate and a fuel from the consisting ofaluminum and magnesium.

Thus, the prior art teachings are directed to methods of creating rain.What is lacking in the art is a method of lessening the wind velocitiesof a storm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The instant application discloses a method of modifying weather byseeding storm clouds with a polymer. The storm clouds are seeded bydispersing a superabsorbent polymer into the cloud in sufficientquantities to cause a large absorption of water. The reaction of thewater with the polymer creates a gel-like substance that precipitates tothe surface. Thus, causing an internal constriction with the cloud tolessen storm velocities.

A superabsorbent polymer is a resin capable of absorbing water up toseveral thousands times as its own weight. These superabsorbent polymersare prepared from water-soluble polymers, but have cross-linkingstructures which render the polymers water-insoluble. By takingwater-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomers which readily undergovinyl polymerizaton, such as acrylamide, with the use of cross linkingagents, a polymer can be produced that is of uniform small size, has ahigh gel capacity, is highly insoluble, but highly water swellable i.e.a superabsorbent polymer. (Gel capacity refers to the property of thewater swollen polymer to resist viscosity changes as a result ofmechanical working or milling.)

Superabsorbent polymers can be dehydrated to a powder. When the powderis added to an aqueous solution and agitated, the polymer is able toabsorb many times its weight of the water molecules and a gel-likesubstance is formed. Superabsorbent polymers are particularly suited foruses where rapid sorption of aqueous fluid is desired or for uses wherethe swelling properties in water are employed.

Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to present amethod for artificially modifying weather wherein a polymer is used tocause wind dissipation by heaving weighting condensation with theclouds.

It is another objective of the instant invention to present a method forseeding a rain cloud with a cross-linked polymer such that the wind ofthe storm provides the agitation for the reaction of the polymer withthe water.

It is an additional objective of the instant invention to present amethod for modifying storms such that the solid end product isbiodegradable and nonhazardous.

Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom the following description wherein are set forth, by way of example,certain embodiments of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention isillustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangementof parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various changes may be made without departingfrom the scope of the invention and the invention is not to beconsidered limited to what is shown and described in the specificationand drawings.

The present invention relates to a method for artificially modifyingweather by solidifying portions of a cloud in a storm such as ahurricane, by introducing polymers into the cloud. This method utilizes“superabsorbent” aqueous based polymers, preferably cross linkedmodified polyacrylamides which can be used in any application whereaqueous solidification is permissible. An example of a superabsorbentaqueous based polymer is manufactured by JRM Chemical Inc. under thetrademark H-series.

In the present invention, a solid form of the superabsorbent polymer,such as a powder, is introduced into the rain clouds of a storm in asuitable manner, for instance a aircraft may traverse the storm andrelease the polymer seeds or they may be released from a seeding flaredelivered from the surface or from an aircraft. The amount of polymerneeded is predetermined based upon the size and severity of the stormalong with the absorption capacity of the polymer used. The wind of thestorm provides the agitation that causes the polymer to bind with thewater forming a gel-like substance. As a result of this method, windbased water storms can be artificially modified.

The use of a biodegradable polymer allows for safe use of the oceanwherein the high salinity of the water will expedite the degradation ofthe material. Various biodegradable superabsorbent polymers includecarboxy-methylcellulose, alginic acid, cross-linked starches,cross-linked polyamino acids and a cross-linked modifiedpolyacrylamides.

In a dry state the preferred polymer may be considered a particle havinga diameter less than 4000 microns but greater than 50 microns. In aswollen state the particle may have a diameter greater than threehundred times its weight. In a totally water-swollen state, theparticles contain up to about 99.98 weight percent of water and a littleas about 0.1 weight percent of polymer. Thus, such particles could holdfrom ten to thousands of times their own weight. By seeding a leadingedge of a violent storm, such as a hurricane, the winds cause a mix ofthe material wherein moisture is absorbed by the material causing ashearing effect. The shearing effect causes the polymers to absorb,lose, and reabsorb water countless times. During this exchange, theweight of the water being transferred allowing for wind shearing thatassists in lessening the velocity of the wind.

The shearing forces are affected by the nature of the interactionsbetween the particles during such collisions. When attractive forcesdominate, the particles will aggregate and the dispersion maydestabilize.

Example: A hurricane is seeded with approximately 30,000 lbs of asuperabsorbent aqueous based polymer by use of a transport plane flyingthrough the leading edge of the storm. Within twenty seconds the polymerwill obtain over 70 percent of its absorption capacity or nearly threehundred times its weight. The winds of the storm will continue todisperse the materials causing a form of internal flocculationdisrupting the feeding nature of the storm. When presented close toland, the storm will not have sufficient time to reform to its previousstrength.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and describedcertain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specificforms herein described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat various changes may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what isshown in the drawings and described in the specification.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for artificially modifying weather byseeding a rain cloud comprising: forming an aqueous solidifier materialcapable of retaining over three hundred times its own weight in water,wherein said aqueous solidifier material is a cross-linked aqueous basedpolymer; dispersing said material into a suitable cloud formation,wherein the wind generated by the storm causes said solidifier to mixwith rain to form a gel like substance; said gel like substance being ofsufficient weight to precipitate to the surface below therebydiminishing the velocity of the cloud.
 2. The method of claim 1 whereinsaid dispersion of aqueous solidifier is from an aircraft traversing thecloud.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said dispersion of aqueoussolidifier is from the surface below.
 4. The cross-linked aqueouspolymer of claim 1 wherein said polymer is a cross-linked modifiedpolyacrylamides.
 5. The cross-linked polymer of 1 wherein said materialis between 50 and 4000 microns.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein theamount of said aqueous solidifier needed is precalculated based upon thesize of the storm and the absorption properties of said aqueoussolidifier.
 7. The methods of claim 1 wherein said aqueous solidifier isbiodegradable and nonhazardous.